Typographical slug casting machine



Au 12, 1941. R H, SCO'TT HAL 2 2,252,473

TYPOGRAPHICAL SLUG CASTING MACHINE F'iIed Sept. 11, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet1 Aug. 12, .1941.

R. HQSCOTT EIAL TYPOGRAPHICAL SLUG CASTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Sept. 11, 1940 Patented Aug. 12, 1941 TYPOGRAPHICAL snuc CASTINGMACHINE Richard Henry Scott, Enfield, and. William Fairall Gorse andArthur Staniland Hayward, Altrincham, England, assignors to Linotype andMachinery Limited, London, England, a British company ApplicationSeptember 11, 1940, Serial No. 356,290 In Great Britain October 20, 193919 Claims. (Cl. 199-48) This invention relates to typographical slugcasting machines such as are commercially known under the registeredtrade-mark Linotype.

In such machines the lines of matrices from which the slugs are cast arebrought against molds which are located. against slots in a mold disc.Atthe rear side of this disc a pot is disposed which contains type metalin a molten condition and this metal is forced into the mold at theappropriate time to form the slug. Owing to the fact that the lines oftype and consequently the slugs on which they are formed are generallyrequired to be of a more or less defined length it has not, as a rule,been found possible to provide more than two or four molds on the molddisc without unduly increasing the size of the disc and consequently ofother parts of the machine. One of the main objects of the presentinvention is to overcome this dimculty and to provide a machine whereinan increased number of molds may be employed. With this end in view theinvention provides a rotatable mold carrier for a typographical slugcasting machine of the kind referred to which is adapted I toaccommodate the molds at or upon its periphery. Preferably the peripheryof the carrier is provided with a plurality of mold seatings thereon andconsequently the carrier, instead of being circular as ordinarily, is inthe form of a substantially polygonal plate. For example, when seatingsfor six molds are provided, the carrier may be substantially hexagonalin configuration. The mold seatings are preferably separated byprojecting members to which the molds are secured.

A further feature of the invention resides in the manner in which themold carrier is driven and from this aspect the same comprises a machineof the type specified wherein the mold carrier is driven from or througha shaft upon which it is arranged. Advantageously, the whole or aportion of the drive is enclosed. Hitherto, it has been customary toprovide the mold carrier with a geared circumference and to drive thesame by means of a pinion in engagement therewith. The present inventioneliminates this pinion thereby economising space in this part of themachine.

The mold may be composed, as usual, of a body having a matrix aligningmold cap and two liners manufactured as separate parts and the mold bodymay be secured to the carrier in a substantially permanent manner, forexample by means of screws. It is an important feature of the invention,however, that the use of fitted gibs or keys, by means of which it hasbeen customary to fit the cap to the body of the mold, is dispensedwith, and the height of the mold aperture may be determined byadjustment of the cap in relation to the body by means of adjustablescrews or the like.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood a preferredembodiment thereof will now be described in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of one form of a rotatable mold carrierfor a typographical slug casting machine according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a more detailed view of a mold forming part of theinvention;

Figure 3A is a section on line A--A of Fig. 3 looking in the directionof the arrows;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the mold slide shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawings, the constructional form of mold carriertherein represented consists of a flat substantially hexagonal plate Ihaving six mold seatings 2 formed on its periphery, which seatings aredivided from one another by means of projecting members 3 shaped toengage with and accommodate the mold. The said projecting members 3 areprovided with a ledge 4 adapted to accommodate a liner 5 against whichthe body of the mold 6 rests and a gap I is provided to allow the moldcap to be clamped downwardly by means .of screw bolts or the like 8, ora plurality thereof, which enter holes in the projecting members 3whereby the mold cap 9 is secured upon the body of the mold and to thecarrier.. The said screws are adjustable so that the height of the moldaperture may be varied as desired. If desired, the adjustable mold cap 9may be provided at its opposite ends with clamping screws 8* which, whentightened up against the projecting members 3, will aid in maintainingthe cap in its adjusted position. Any keys or gibs which might inprevious practice be fitted to the mold form in the present invention apart of the mold carrier. The mold may be provided with liners on eitherside thereof in the manner customary in the art.

Conveniently the drive is taken from the main drive of the machinethrough shafts connected by spiral gearing. The mold carrier I ismounted on a shaft I B on which is also mounted a spiral gear I I whichis in engagement with a pinion Ill. The shaft It is carried in bearingsI3 and I4 which are mounted in the mold slide. The spiral gear H iskeyed to the shaft ID by means of a key l5 and is held laterally bymeans of a split ring [6 and bearing I4 which is a combined radialthrust bearing. The ring [6 is fixed by screws to the gear H and letinto a groove in the shaft ll]. Bearing I3 is a ball hearing. The saidpinion I2 is mounted upon an intermediate shaft I! which runs at rightangles to the mold carrier shaft, and a second spiral gear I8 is mountedat the opposite end of the intermediate shaft H to that which carriesthe pinion l2. The intermediate shaft I! is carried on radial ballthrust bearings 19 and 20 which are mounted in the mold slide 2! andheld laterally by end plates 22 and 23. A driving spindle 24 which maybe disposed in parallel relation to the mold carrier shaft l0 engagesthe spiral gearing I8 on the intermediate shaft [7 by means of a pinion25 suitably secured to the said spindle 24. The spindle 24 has a sleeve26 pinned thereon and the sleeve 26 is driven from the main drivingshaft 21 of the machine through splinecl keys 28.

Advantageously, means are provided for rotating the mold carrier by handand such means preferably consist in a hand turning sleeve 29 connectedto the driving spindle 24 by means of a tongue pieceiw fixed to thesleeve 29 by screws 3|. The tongue piece 38 engages in a slot 32 in thesaid spindle 2d and is secured therein 1 by means of a spring 33. Thepinion 25 which carries the drive from the driving spindle 24 to theintermediate shaft I I is provided with a long boss 34 and is secured tothe hand turning sleeve by means of a key 35 which engages the saidboss, and also a groove in the hand turning sleeve 29. When it isdesired to rotate the mold carrier by hand the hand turning sleeve 29 isfreed from the driving spindle by pulling the sleeve 29 outwards so asto disconnect the tongue 3!! from the slot 32 in the said spindle 24when the pinion 25 may be rotated by manual operation of the said sleevewhereby the pinion is turned through the key engaging the sleevethereon.

Parts of the drive may be enclosed and in particular it is desirable toenclose the spiral gear drives and these are conveniently enclosedwithin housings which form a part of the mold slide. This constructionis shown in the drawings wherein the gears l2 and 18 are enclosed inhousings 36 and 31 respectively.

Thrust guides 38, 39 are provided to prevent the mold carrier I. fromspringing away when the mold is passing over the back knife '40 and suchguides may be of the kind at present usually r employed.

Having described our invention, we declare that what weclaim and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In orfor a typographical slug casting machine, a rotatable moldcarrier having a plurality of mold seatings formed on its periphery, incombination with driving means for imparting a complete rotation to themold carrier at each casting cycle of the machine, said driving meansoperating on the mold carrier within its peripheral limits so as toleave said carrier entirely free at its periphery to accommodate themolds.

2. In or for a typographical slug casting machine, a flat rotatable moldcarrier of substantially polygonal form and having each of its edgesadapted to accommodate a mold thereon,

'in combination with driving means for imparting a complete rotation tothe mold carrier at each casting cycleof the machine, said driving meansoperating on the mold carrier within its peripheral limits so as toleave said carrier entirely free at its periphery to accommodate themolds.

3. In or for a typographical slug casting machine, a rotatable moldcarrier having a plurality of mold seatings formed on its periphery, andprojections between adjoining mold seatings adapted for the securing ofthe molds thereto, in combination with driving means for imparting acomplete rotation to the mold carrier at each casting cycle of themachine, said driving means operating on the mold carrier within itsperipheral limits so as to leave said carrier entirely free at itsperiphery to accommodate the molds.

4. In or for a typographical slug casting machine, a mold assemblycomprising a rotatable mold carrier having a plurality of mold seatingsformed on its periphery and a mold adjustably secured in each of saidseatings.

5. In or for a typographical slug casting machine, a mold assemblycomprising a mold carrier having a plurality of mold seatings on itsperiphery, projections between adjoining mold seatings and a mold ineach of said seatings adjustably secured to said projections.

6. In or for a typographical slug castingmachine, a mold assemblycomprising a rotatable mold carrier having a series of mold seatingsformed on its periphery and projections between adjoining mold seatings,said projections being provided with ledges, a mold cap associated witheach seating adjustably secured to said ledges and a mold body disposedin each of said seatings so that the height of the respective moldaperture may be varied.

'7. In a typographical slug casting machine, the combination of a moldcarrier, a rotatable shaft upon which said mold carrier is mounted, andmeans independent of the mold carrier for driving said shaft, said meansacting to impart a complete rotation to the mold carrier at each castingcycle of the machine.

8. In a typographical slug casting machine, the combination of a moldcarrier, a rotatable shaft upon which said mold carrier is mounted, amain driving shaft and spiral gearing connecting said rotatable shaftwith said main driving shaft.

9. In a typographical slug casting machine, the combination of a moldcarrier, a rotatable shaft upon which said mold carrier is mounted, amain driving shaft and enclosed spiral gearing connecting said rotatableshaft with said main driving shaft.

10. In a typographical slug casting machine, the combination of arotatable mold carrier, a mold slide, a rotatable shaft upon which saidmold carrier is mounted, a main driving shaft, an intermediate shaftmounted in said mold slide, gearing at both ends of said intermediateshaft through which said rotatable shaft is driven and housings in saidmold slide enclosing said gearing.

11. In a typographical slug casting machine, the combination of arotatable mold carrier, a mold slide, a rotatable shaft upon which saidmold carrier is mounted, a main driving shaft, an intermediate shaftmounted in said mold slide, a spindle driven by said main driving shaft,gearing at one end of said intermediate shaft connected'to said spindle,a gearing at the other end of said intermediate shaft connected to saidrotatable shaft, and housings in said mold slide enclosing saidgearings.

12. In a typographical slug casting machine, the combination of arotatable mold carrier having a plurality of mold seatings on theperiphery thereof, a rotatable shaft upon which said mold carrier ismounted, means independent of the mold carrier for driving said shaft,said means acting to impart a complete rotation to the mold carrier ateach casting cycle of the machine, and means independent of the drivingmeans for rotating said shaft to adjust the mold carrier with referenceto said driving means in changing from one mold to another.

13. In a typographical slug casting machine the combination with arotatable mold carrier having a plurality of mold seatings on theperiphery thereof and projections between adjoining mold seatings,adapted for the securing of the molds thereto, of a rotatable shaft uponwhich said mold carrier is mounted, driving means independent of themold carrier for said rotatable shaft, said means acting to impart acomplete rotation to the mold carrier at each casting cycle of themachine, and means independent of the driving means for rotating saidshaft to adjust the mold carrier with reference to said driving means inchanging from one mold to another.

14. In a typographical slug casting machine the combination of arotatable mold carrier having a plurality of mold seatings on theperiphery thereof, with molds secured in said seatings, a rotatableshaft on which said mold carrier is mounted, a main driving shaft anddriving connections between said main driving shaft and said rotatableshaft, said driving connections including an intermediate shaft andgearing.

15. In a typographical slug casting machine the combination of arotatable mold carrier having a plurality of mold seatings on theperiphery thereof and projections between said mold seatings, with amold slide, a rotatable shaft, upon which said mold carrier is mounted,a main driving shaft, an intermediate shaft mounted in said mold slide,gearing at both ends of said intermediate shaft connecting saidintermediate shaft with said main driving shaft and with said rotatableshaft, and housings in said mold slide enclosing said gearing.

16. In a typographical slug casting machine, the combination with arotatable mold carrier of mechanical driving means therefor including arotatable shaft upon which said mold carrier is mounted, and meansoperable by hand for turning said mold carrier independently of saidmechanical driving means.

17. In a typographical slug casting machine, the combination with arotatable mold carrier having a plurality of mold seatings on theperiphery thereof, of mechanical driving means for said mold carrierincluding a rotatable shaft, upon which said mold carrier is mounted andmeans operable by hand for turning said mold carrier independently ofthe mechanical driving means.

18. In a typographical slug casting machine, the combination with arotatable mold carrier having a plurality of mold seatings on theperiphery thereof and mechanical driving means for said mold carrierincluding a rotatable shaft upon which said mold carrier is mounted, ofa hand operated member releasably secured to a member of said drivingmeans for manually turning said mold carrier.

19. In a typographical slug casting machine, the combination of arotatable mold carrier having a plurality of mold seatings formed on theperiphery thereof, a mold slide, a rotatable shaft upon which said moldcarrier is mounted, a main driving shaft, a spindle driven by said maindriving shaft, an intermediate shaft mounted in said mold slide, spiralgearing at one end of said intermediate shaft connecting said rotatableshaft with said intermediate shaft, spiral gearing at the other end ofsaid intermediate shaft connecting said intermediate shaft with saidspindle, a hand turning sleeve releasably secured to said spindle and akey on said spindle engaging a groove in an extension of said spiralgearing so that on release of said turning sleeve from said spindle,said sleeve is in engagement with said spiral gearing to enable saidmold disc to be manually rotated.

RICHARD HENRY SCOTT. WILLIAM FAIRALL GORSE. ARTHUR STANILAND HAYWARD.

